2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Missaggia
From the Italian word "messaggio" meaning message, likely a surname for a messenger.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Missaggia. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Missaggia surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Missaggia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Missaggia, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Missaggia
The surname Missaggia originated in Italy, specifically in the Piedmont region, during the medieval period. It is derived from the old Italian word "missaggia," which means "messenger" or "envoy." This suggests that the name may have been initially assigned to someone who worked as a messenger or courier.
In the 13th century, the name Missaggia appeared in several documents and records from the city of Turin, indicating that families with this surname were established in the area during that time. There are also mentions of the name in the cartularies of the Abbey of St. Justina in Susa, a town located in the Piedmont region.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Missaggia was Giovanni Missaggia, a merchant and trader who lived in Turin in the late 14th century. Another notable figure was Bartolomeo Missaggia, a skilled architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the city of Asti during the 15th century.
The name Missaggia can be traced back to the village of Missaglia, situated in the province of Lecco, Lombardy region. It is believed that some families bearing this surname may have originated from this village or its surrounding areas before migrating to other parts of Italy.
In the 16th century, a branch of the Missaggia family settled in the city of Genoa, where they became prominent merchants and bankers. One of the most famous members of this family was Gerolamo Missaggia (1530-1602), a wealthy banker and financier who was instrumental in financing several major projects in the city.
Another notable individual was Giambattista Missaggia (1670-1745), a renowned artist and sculptor from Milan. He was renowned for his remarkable works in marble and was commissioned by several noble families and religious institutions in Northern Italy.
It is important to note that the spelling of the surname may have varied over time, with alternative spellings such as Missaglia, Missaglio, or Misaggia appearing in different historical records and regions of Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Missaggia
Among Census respondents with the surname Missaggia, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Missaggia bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Missaggia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.5% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino11.5% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Missaggia
Missaggia appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,842 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 4,842 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Missaggia surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #158,432 | #153,590 | 3.1% |
| Count | 102 | 104 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Missaggia bearers went from 102 to 104 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 4,842 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #153,590.
FAQ
Missaggia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Missaggia?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Missaggia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Missaggia?
Missaggia ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Missaggia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Missaggia.
Has Missaggia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Missaggia went from 102 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Missaggia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Missaggia, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Missaggia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Missaggia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.5%), Hispanic (11.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Missaggia (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Missaggia mean?
From the Italian word "messaggio" meaning message, likely a surname for a messenger. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Missaggia (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Missaggia?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Missaggia, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.